Dream-Bonded
by Sentimental Star
Summary: Jamie Bennett had always been an extraordinary and precocious child. Befriending Jack Frost had only reinforced that...[Multi-Chapter. Movie-and Book-Based. Familyfic.]
1. The Man in the Moon

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing in this remarkable universe, it all belongs to William Joyce and Dreamworks.

 **Author's Note:** It's been a hugely long time since I've published anything, and I apologize to all my readers who have loved my stories. My creative energies have mostly been invested in teaching scores of students to love reading and love learning-hopefully adding a few authors to our ranks in a few years ::winks::. I've recently come across the universe of the _Rise of the Guardians_ movie by Dreamworks, and the _Guardians of Childhood_ book series by William Joyce. I've just started the books (and I'm thoroughly enjoying them), but I've fallen in love with the movie, and-particularly-Jamie and Jack's relationship. This story will focus on that-plus, it will be an additional creative outlet for me when I have the time. When I get the inspiration, I will work on my other stories, too-but this is the one I'm working on for now. I hope you enjoy it!

 **Summary:** Jamie Bennett had always been an extraordinary and precocious child. Befriending Jack Frost had only reinforced that...[Multi-Chapter. Movie- and Book-Based. Familyfic.]

 **"Speech/Dialogue"**

 _ **Personal Thoughts**_ **(Italics)**

 _.:Dream-Bonded:._

By Sentimental Star

 _Prologue: The Man in the Moon_

When the Man in the Moon had chosen Jackson Overland as a Guardian, he'd spent the better part of two centuries despairing over how far apart the other four had grown.

(To be fair to Toothiana and Sandy, they _had_ tried…)

He'd watched as the Guardians' unity weakened, and Pitch gained more power little by little. He'd grieved the Lights gone out too early, and the ever-growing peril of the Earth's children.

Then, he decided to do something about it. And who better to take on that task than a child-Guardian? Someone who could re-teach the other Guardians how to pick up the mantle again, one that had faded as the weight and importance of their _other_ duties swallowed their first—their duty to the children.

He'd not accounted for how _difficult_ it would be to encourage belief in such a new Guardian, without Katherine's stories and _particularly_ not one so vulnerable and sensitive as Jack, who'd reacted _badly_ (to put it mildly) to the inability to be heard, seen, or touched. Who then began causing mayhem and wreaking havoc in a bid to gain the other Guardians' approval and attention.

(Perhaps MiM had lost sight of Earth's children a little, too.)

When the other Guardians responded, their reactions ran the gauntlet from fond tolerance (Sandy, and, to some extent, Tooth) to irritation and anger (Bunny).

MiM realized then that Jack would need a little help.

But Father Time and Mother Nature were _really_ particular, and only so much could be altered, even for the benefit of a Guardian.

It was another couple of centuries before MiM could _finally_ put the last piece in place, and by then, Jack had lost nearly all hope, and begun to grow bitter.

Then Pitch attacked, and Jamie Bennett surpassed even _MiM's_ expectations for him.

So did Jack Frost.

 _TBC_


	2. Of Guardians and Believers

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing in this marvelous universe, it all belongs to William Joyce and Dreamworks.

 **Author's Note:** I am posting the first five chapters of this story now (including the Prologue in the prior chapter). I am hoping to add a few more by the end of 2018. Most of these will be shorter chapters, and will focus heavily on Jack and Jamie, as well as their relationship and how others perceive it. As I learn more about Katherine (from the _Guardians of Childhood_ books), I will include asides referencing and comparing her with Jamie. And as I learn more of the backstory to characters like North, Bunnymund, Toothiana, and Sandy, I may include references to that, as well. So I may be going back and editing a bit in these earlier chapters, but for now, please enjoy them!

 **Summary:** Jamie Bennett had always been an extraordinary and precocious child. Befriending Jack Frost had only reinforced that...[Multi-Chapter. Movie- and Book-Based. Familyfic.]

 **"Speech/Dialogue"**

 _ **Personal Thoughts (Italics)**_

 _.:Dream-Bonded:._

By Sentimental Star

 _Chapter One: Of Guardians and Believers_

Among the Guardians, it was a well-known fact that every couple of centuries, they might encounter a child of whom they grew incredibly fond—more so than the hundreds upon thousands upon millions of children who entered their care each year.

(Katherine had been one such child.)

They'd just forgotten the fantastic experience of finding their First Believer.

They'd each had one, even MiM. Even _Pitch_.

But even by First Believer standards, Jamie Bennett was an exceptional child.

(Katherine would have been a great friend of his, North ruefully admitted.)

After all, what other Believer had _still_ Believed, even with all other Lights gone out?

North and Bunny, even Tooth and Sandy, had freely admitted to some jealousy that Jack's First Believer was such a one.

Or, well, they _would have_ , if they had not been so awed by the fundamental change Jack underwent upon meeting him.

To be fair, the Easter battle with Pitch had been deeply transformative for Jack all around.

(Themselves, too, to some extent.)

Not only had the winter spirit found his First Believer, he'd regained his mortal memories _and_ discovered his Center, all in one go.

All of it had resulted in a phenomenally altered Jack, who had proven himself to be selfless and courageous, young-old, full of childish wisdom and whimsy, with a kind and vulnerable heart. In short, everything MiM had hoped for and then some, upon reviving the once-human boy from his watery grave.

And he was soon to be much-beloved, not just by the Guardians and the children of the world, but by Jamie, too.

 _TBC_


	3. The First Frost

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing in this marvelous universe, it all belongs to William Joyce and Dreamworks.

 **Summary:** Jamie Bennett had always been an extraordinary and precocious child. Befriending Jack Frost had only reinforced that...[Multi-Chapter. Movie- and Book-Based. Familyfic.]

 **"Speech"**

 _ **Personal Thoughts (Italics)**_

 _.:Dream-Bonded:._

By Sentimental Star

 _Chapter Two: The First Frost_

Jack sometimes woke from a sound sleep with the faint, vague impression of human-warm arms encircling his middle, their owner little higher than his stomach.

No longer a mortal being himself, he did not need sleep in the same sense as humans did, but it was a preciously held memory from the Easter battle nearly seven months ago—and Sandy knew it.

Whenever Jack had physically or mentally exhausted himself, or when the weight of his memories simply became too much, he could always count on Sandy to send him dreams of his First Believer. And they nearly always ended with that impression.

(Sandy _had_ always had a bit of a soft spot for Jack.)

What Sandy had _not_ imparted to Jack, because he felt only Jamie could really explain it best, is that he sent the boy dreams of his favorite Guardian, as well.

North might grumble, and Bunny might sulk, and Tooth might laugh, but Sandy knew what Jack meant to Jamie.

Which explained why all four of the other Guardians waited with anxious anticipation to see what Jack decided when the time drew closer for the Northern Hemisphere's first frost of the season.

It would be Jack's first since becoming an official Guardian, and they all knew the power of a new Guardian could produce something _truly_ spectacular, especially with all the strength of Jamie's belief behind him.

(North probably should have recalled how utterly powerful Katherine's belief had been…and what it had produced.)

It surprised exactly none of them when Jack chose to spend that Northern Hemisphere's autumn and winter in the small town of Burgess, Pennsylvania.

 _TBC_


	4. Jamie's Imaginary Friend

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing in this marvelous universe, it all belongs to William Joyce and Dreamworks.

 **Author's Note:** I really like this chapter-mainly because, I love imagining how eager Jamie would be to see Jack again after they said good-bye at the pond. I imagine, being a winter spirit, Jack would not frequent Burgess during the summer or even the spring-at least not until he gets to know Jamie a little bit better ::winks::. This chapter and the next reflect that. Please enjoy!

 **Summary:** Jamie Bennett had always been an extraordinary and precocious child. Befriending Jack Frost had only reinforced that...[Multi-Chapter. Movie- and Book-Based. Familyfic.]

 **"Speech"**

 _ **Personal Thoughts (Italics)**_

 _.:Dream-Bonded:._

By Sentimental Star

 _Chapter Three: Jamie's Imaginary Friend_

Jamie had listened eagerly to radio forecasts, raptly watched weather forecasts on tv, and scoured every Farmer's Almanac available to him, in hopes of determining the date the first frost would appear in Burgess. He'd pinpointed it nearly to the day, and could not be made to hold still for more than an hour (or less) at a time as the date approached.

"But, _Mom_ , what if I miss it? Then he won't-"

"Jamie Bennett, _for the last time_ , go to _sleep_! Jack Frost will be here in the _morning_!"

Jamie's mother had pretty much given up trying to reason with her now nine-year-old son, who insisted that Santa and the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy _and_ the Sandman were all real (although he called them by quite different names). He maintained that Jack Frost was _real_ , and certainly _not_ an expression as she had once told him. In fact, Jamie would not stop _talking_ about Jack Frost:

About how he had blue eyes, "Almost as blue as _glaciers_ , Mom!"

About how he had _white_ hair, "And it looked _soooo_ COOL! Can I dye my hair white, Mom?"

About how he's brave and kind and—"He's not afraid of _anything_! You should have _seen_ him, Mom! He threw a _snowball_ at _Pitch's_ face!"

But it wasn't all artless admiration. Her little Jamie was sensitive, and he sometimes saw things or sensed things others tried to hide. So although he liked Jack Frost _—"Like a real, real lot!"—_ he also was fully aware of a few other things this older boy apparently did not want him to see: "He was so _sad_ , Mom, and then he was so, so _happy_! He thought no one would see him, but _I_ did! Is there something I can do to make sure he's never that sad again?"

Of course, then he started imploring her for answers to that question, and Mrs. Bennett had spent the next few minutes trying to give him ideas of ways he could help.

Jamie's descriptions of "Jack Frost" were so _glowing_ , and so _vivid_ , that she nearly convinced herself that she'd been mistaken. That this "Jack Frost" was not, in fact, the one that nipped at unsuspecting children's noses, but an actual older child that Jamie had met and befriended on that Easter snow day.

There was just one complication:

"And he has this HUUUUGE magical stick," Jamie stretched his arms out to both sides in an approximate illustration of that stick, "that makes frost, and ice, and _snow_ , Mom! And he used it when we fought Pitch, like…KER-POW! And BOOM! And CRASH! And ZAP! And…and…!"

"All right, _all right_! _Enough_ , Jamie Bennett! Go to _sleep_!" she tried to sound angry and exasperated and mad, but really ended up nearly laughing. For of course, Jamie never _could_ hold still when telling a story, and had been bouncing all over his bed, illuminating his sound effects with sweeping hand gestures and flapping arms.

"Aw, _Mom_ …" the pout was prominent on his lips.

" _Now_ , young man," she managed to smother her laugh, but only just.

Jamie groaned, but reluctantly complied.

As she pulled the covers up to his chin, Jamie settled onto the mattress and laid his head on the pillow. Looking up at her with big, brown eyes, he asked, "Mom…do you _really_ think I'll see him tomorrow?"

Mrs. Bennett opened her mouth…and then shut it, caught out and utterly unsure what to say.

The way she saw it, she had just two options for how to proceed: she could backtrack and tell Jamie that she had not actually meant it literally, or she could confirm it (because there _had_ been a Frost Warning for their area), and let Jamie hang on to his childhood notions just a little longer.

In the end, it was an easy choice.

Picking up his well-worn stuffed rabbit from the floor, Mrs. Bennett handed it to her son and gently smoothed back Jamie's hair from his forehead, "Yes, baby, I really think so." She leaned down and kissed the warm skin, pulling back only slightly to smile into his eyes, "You know, I'd really like to meet this 'Jack Frost,' since you like him so much."

And Jamie…oh, Jamie looked at her with such solemn-eyed surety that Mrs. Bennett almost questioned _her_ conviction, "You will one day, if you believe in him. I think Jack would really like that."

 _TBC_


	5. Frosty Reunion

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing in this marvelous universe, it all belongs to William Joyce and Dreamworks.

 **Summary:** Jamie Bennett had always been an extraordinary and precocious child. Befriending Jack Frost had only reinforced that...[Multi-Chapter. Movie- and Book-Based. Familyfic.]

 **"Speech"**

 _ **Personal Thoughts (Italics)**_

 _.:Dream-Bonded:._

By Sentimental Star

 _Chapter Four: Frosty Reunion_

Frost crackling up his window pane woke Jamie in the early, early hours of the gray morning.

Groggily, he peered over his covers, vaguely sensing a distinct chill in the air.

It took his bleary eyes a moment to focus on the handprint that suddenly graced the window's glass, and even longer to catch a glimpse of the white-haired winter spirit that had left it.

Jamie was about to roll over and go back to sleep when the identity of the blue-eyed teenager finally registered.

" _Jack_!"

Abruptly wide awake, Jamie rolled out from underneath his blanket and lunged for his windows, flinging them wide as he leaned outside as far as he could safely go.

"Jack! _Jack_!" he waved his hand wildly in an attempt to flag down the older boy.

The brisk wind must have swallowed his shouts, or Jack must have grown far too absorbed in his work, because the winter spirit never turned back towards Jamie. Instead, he dragged his staff along walls and roads and wires as he flew, tapped it against windows and cars and trees, leaving a lacy trail of frost in his wake.

Jamie did not particularly mind. Instead, with a bright, elated laugh, he pulled his windows shut and dove for his cold weather clothing, yanking on his boots, winter coat, scarf, hat, and gloves all over his pajamas.

As fast as humanly possible, while still keeping remotely within the realm of quiet, Jamie snuck through his house to the front door and, unlatching it, silently hefted it open. Perhaps he should have woken his mother, or grabbed Sophie before he left, but he did not want to lose sight of Jack, and swiftly dragged the door shut behind him.

Free now to laugh all he wanted, Jamie plunged outside into the icy wind, racing to catch up with Jack's swiftly retreating figure.

Jack's magic was _everywhere_ , tendrils of it snaking and slipping and sliding all around Jamie as the two of them rushed onward toward what Jamie gradually realized was Overland pond, where they'd said good-bye that long ago Easter Monday.

(Seven months was _forever_!)

It teased at his hair and trickled around his gloved fingers as Jamie reached up to try and touch it, delighted laughter spilling past his lips.

Perhaps the wind was on his side in this, because the oblivious winter spirit flying some ten feet above him never gave any indication he noticed Jamie running along below him in an attempt to keep up. At least, not until they reached the pond, and at that point, it became impossible for Jack to remain ignorant of his presence.

Because the moment Jack touched down at the edge of the pond, Jamie gave a delighted whoop of his name and rushed at him.

The older boy had just enough time to whip around, surprise melting into shock as he found himself tackled around the middle and sent spinning backwards through the air.

" _Jack_!" the elated laugh rang out in the crisp November morning.

The startled winter spirit barely managed to catch them before they collided with a large oak tree, it's brown leaves showering to the ground as the wind attempted to create a buffer for Jack to use.

They did manage to stop, but Jamie's momentum sent them both crashing to the ground, albeit in a pile of powder snow that abruptly appeared in response to Jack's peril.

Jamie did not seem to terribly mind, staggering up to his knees as his laughter poured out around the clearing and Jack surfaced, sputtering, from the snow.

Swiping his face clear of the powder (seriously, his powers had a mind of their own sometimes), Jack took a moment to regain his bearings. When his ice-blue eyes landed on the rosily grinning child in front of him and _really_ registered the nine-year-old's presence, they widened, "Jam-" he coughed. " _Jamie_?"

"Hi, Jack!" exclaimed brightly.

In the next moment, Jack nearly went sprawling backwards into the snow pile again, as Jamie launched himself forward to laughingly wrap his arms around the winter spirit's neck.

A small nose nuzzled into the hollow of Jack's throat, "I've missed you," murmured into the cool skin there, the warm human breath ghosting across it causing Jack to shiver.

Jack froze as the small body situated itself more comfortably in his lap, utterly flabbergasted by Jamie's unquestioning faith and trust.

(And the fact that the child did not simply pass right through him, there was that, too.)

At last, the winter spirit thought to move, carefully wrapping his own arms around Jamie's shoulders and swallowing harshly against the swelling lump in his throat, "I've…missed you, too."

(Seven months, after all, _was_ a very long time.)

 _TBC_


End file.
